Union City: Hell on Earth
by WingsofDust
Summary: Jacob is an ordinary college student, living in Glendale when the outbreak starts. He travels alongside his neighbor, Jack, and reaches Union City, where he tries to locate his wife, Beth. Jacob desperately tries to survive all the events from Day 00 to Day 350. Being a survivor in a hell filled with zombies is far better than the alternative...
1. The Beginning of the End: Day 00- 26

**Hello TLS fans. I go by LPGD in game, and on the forums, if you recognize me. Anyway, this is a fanfiction from the viewpoint of one of Jack's comrades. I'll try to stay as true to canon as possible, though I may bend it a teensy bit, just a couple of details later. Anyway, this is in journal form, starting from Day 1 of the outbreak. This will cover all four games, and I'll try to be as accurate as possible (with the help of the wiki).**

**I'll cover the important events that a civilian would know about, and these events are the TLS: DZ timeline found on the load page, courtesy of the wiki.**

**Disclaimer- I am not ConArtist, because there is no way I could make something as awesome as the TLS series.**

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Congratulations. You're alive. That's more than most can say. Anyway, you've found my journal. I hope it helps you. Now, take out this note and start reading. Maybe what you find could help you live a bit longer.

So, background. I am a man in his early twenties who happened to know a bit about a lot of things, and that's why I'm alive. My parents and siblings are far away from here, thank god, and I'm one of the few left alive in this heaven- forsaken city.

So- the first entry here was written over a year ago. Day 1. The beginning. Let's start there, shall we?

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**Day 1**

I was watching the news, and they're talking about that new virus. Nobody's quite sure what it does, but there are a lot of people in the hospital. The newscaster is saying over two hundred in twenty four hours.

It's probably just a nasty flu.

**Day 2**

The police just arrested some sick person outside. He was stumbling down the street, drooling all over. I locked myself in the house and waited for him to leave.

The news channels were talking about a sharp rise in assaults and murders around Union City. Maybe they were like that guy, he didn't look quite right in the head. I wonder if it's more than just the flu?

I hope my wife is okay. She's up at our apartment in Union City, while I'm doing a college project down here. Ah well, Beth will be fine. She can take care of herself if she needs to. She's smart enough to deal with whatever happens.

**Day 6**

Most of my neighbors panicked and ran away. The newspapers said people are fleeing all over the place.

I've stocked up on supplies, but I don't think I need to run. I'll be fine right here. Still, the grocery store was a madhouse.

When I got there, all the fresh food was gone, and all the good canned soup. But there was plenty of canned vegetables and meat left, same with the chips. Yum.

**Day 10**

Damnit! It's worse than I thought. According to a government spokesperson, over 10,000 are dead. Some guy named Con Johnson arrived at the hospital where Beth works two days ago. They say he's infected with the disease. And to make matters worse, the government put Glendale, Claysburg, and Jonestown under a state of emergency.

I think the soldiers patrolling the streets is a bit unnecessary, and it's hard to sleep with all those trucks moving outside. Total overkill.

**Day 13**

Apparently the CIC and Homeland Security have their own little task force. They call it "Homeland Environmental Risk Control", or "HERC" for short.

They've moved into Union City, and there was a couple of riots when they tried to quarantine the city. The government is asking everybody to "stay calm and remain in our homes." Like that's going to happen. People will be panicking left and right, I can hardly believe it's gotten this bad.

**Day 18**

Zombies. Dear god, zombies.

They came on the news two days ago and said the disease spread out of state. Yesterday they are said that they are isolating people who are in hospitals. Today they said that that Con guy died and came back, started going crazy.

Zombies. That's it, I'm heading for Union City. I gotta make sure Beth is okay.

**Day 21**

I'm packing now. Time to leave Glendale. I'm starting to get scared, it's really bad out here. Apparently these zombies transfer the virus through saliva, like rabies.

I drive out to the edge of town, passing military barricades all over. They've set up a watchtower on mainstreet, and there's some soldier with a sniper rifle manning it.

I reach the edge of town, and am stopped by a soldier wearing a gas mask.

"Sir, get out of the car." he gestures with his gun.

"Point that somewhere else, will ya? You're making me nervous." I reply. Somehow, that gas mask makes him look really menacing.

"Get out of the car, now." He orders again.

"Fine, fine." I climb out. "What is it? I need to get to Union City."

He waves a piece of paper at me. "Glendale is quarantined. Nobody gets in or out."

"But my wife is in the city, I need to make sure she's okay." I try to reason with him. He gestures with his assault rifle again.

"No. Go back or I'll have to detain you." I'm about to argue, but there's a commotion a few cars ahead. A woman is being pulled from her car by two soldiers.

"Please! My children are in Union City, I need to get to them! Please!" Wordlessly, the soldiers slap a pair of handcuffs on her and stuff her in the back of a police cruiser. I look away, and turn back to the soldier.

"Okay. Fine. I'll go back." I try to get back into my car, but the soldier stops me.

"This vehicle is being confiscated by the US military, as it could be used to create a national security threat."

"What! A national security threat? What are you talking about?" I ask angrily.

"If you use this vehicle to exit Glendale, you have the potential to spread the infection to other cities. You may claim reimbursement after the crisis has ended." The soldier recites his canned lines. Then, he says something that makes me almost feel sorry for him. "Sorry, dude. Orders are orders. Hopefully we all come out of this alright."

I turn and walk away, but start to think back on the soldier. He must have one of the worst jobs out there, having to haul away people who just want to find their families. But I'll get through, no matter what.

**Day 22**

I wake to the sound of gunshots down the street. I glance at my alarm clock- it's 2:00 in the morning.

I throw on some cloths, and run outside my door. A man is running down the street, and I grab his arm.

"What's happening?" I ask urgently.

"A bunch people just tried to escape!" His eyes are wild, scared. "The soldiers sh...sh... shot them all!"

I stand there in horror, and then duck back inside my house. Oh my god. Oh my god. They're killing them. I can hear the rat-a-tat-tatting of machine gun fire, and there are people screaming off in the distance.

When morning comes, I peer up out my window. There are soldiers carrying lumps wrapped in black canvas. Body bags. They throw them into trucks, while several soldiers stand guard. I turn away, sick.

This is bad. There is no way I can get out alive now.

**Day 25**

The newscaster is on, with more news of the zombies.

"In a startling wave of violence, the military in coordination with HERC has allegedly killed over 60 people in the last two days across the state." A picture of soldiers on the outskirts of Union City flashes across the screen.

"Two nights ago, a group of nearly two dozen men, women, and children tried to sneak past the blockade on Glendale. When discovered and confronted by US Army soldiers, they became aggressive, and all were killed." That was those gunshots I heard.

"And yesterday, Claysburg County has fallen into darkness as many power plants were overrun by Infected. Road access to Union City has been restricted in an attempt to slow the rate of infection, but it doesn't appear to be working."

The camera switches from the news anchor to a reporter.

"I'm standing at the sight of one of the biggest clashes so far. Only hours ago, more than 40 people attempted to force their way through HERC quarantines and out of Union City. All were reported KIA, and early testing shows all were Infected." The camera pans the scene. Small rivers of blood run across the pavement, and dozens of hastily covered bodies are being loaded into trucks. It's like last night, but far worse.

I can't watch this anymore. I shut off the TV and go to bed.

**Day 26**

I wake to gunshots and screaming for the second time this week. I've been sleeping fully dressed, so I put on my shoes and run outside.

The air smells of gunpowder, and I can see small fires burning all over town. Sporadic gunfire and breaking glass echoes across the night, and a small crowd of the people from my street run by.

"C'mon Jacob! We need to get out of here!" It's Jack. He grabs my arm and pulls me over to his garage. "Get in, get in!" We climb up the ladder into his house, and he pulls the ladder and trapdoor up behind us.

For the first time, I look around. Lit by a battery powered lantern, his attic is filled with supplies. Boxes of food and water, as well as several guns, ammo boxes, knives, and hammers.

I peer out of a small window cut into the wall, and look outside. I can't even begin to describe how horrifying it was. People were rioting in the streets, screaming and throwing molotov cocktails, setting cars and buildings on fire, and panicking. Zombies had broken through the barricades, and were stumbling down mainstreet. It was chaos.

Soldiers tried to stop them, but there were too many. I saw one rioter dragged off into the shadows by a couple of zombies. One soldier was literally torn limb from limb by a horde of undead. Bursts of gunfire and flames lit up the night, but I couldn't watch anymore.

Around midnight, I hear somebody scream out, "Retreat! Retreat! God help us, retreat!" The gunfire moves further away, and I hear trucks rumbling off in the distance.

By 4:00 in the morning all is silent, and I know: Glendale has fallen.

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**So, what do you think? I skipped over some days, but summarized what was missed where I could. Now things are picking up speed. This is where TLS starts, right after Glendale fell.**

**I'll be unable to update for at least a week, possibly as long as two weeks, but I'll try to update one more time tomorrow if I can. I'll continue when I can, but that may not be for a while. Anyway, type something in that box down below and click the button. Tell me what you want to see more or less of.**

**-FlamingWingsofIcarus**


	2. Rescue: Day 29- 40

**Again, not ConArtist. Might as well get that out of the way right now. Anyway, sorry for not updating, I was gone a week and got lazy, for which I apologize. Please enjoy!**

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**Day 29**

That's it. Glendale is overrun. And I'm trapped up in the attic of my neighbor's house. and the neighbor in question turn to me.

"So. This isn't good."

"No, ya think?" I reply sarcastically.

"Maybe we can get out of this alive," he says. "We have an advantage- we can still think, so far it seems like they just shamble along." He pulls something out from under some boxes. "And we have these."

I look at what he's holding- a pair of Glock 17 pistols, carefully wrapped in cloth. The box he took them from was filled with ammunition of all sorts, and several cans of fuel are laying nearby.

"So," he carries on. "Let's get a barricade up downstairs, and try and hold them off tonight. The seem a bit less active during the day. Just like those old horror movies."

We start piling up furniture, junk, whatever we can find in a solid wall out in the yard. Jack turns on his radio, and plays it just loud enough to hear.

"Jack, turn that off!" I hiss. "You'll draw their attention!"

"No, be quiet for a moment. This sound important. Besides, we're already making noise dragging stuff around like this. Now listen."

"This just in," a reporter's voice comes over the airwaves. "The HERC quarantine around Union City has been expanded and reinforced as of today. According to the CDC, the infection rate in the Union City has reached over 60%. In response to this alarming news, the United States government has placed the entire state under martial law."

Jack and I glance at each other. What exactly does that mean?

"Residents are encouraged to evacuate to the Stadium area of the city, which is the current center for disaster relief efforts. Also..."

Static floods the radio, but it clears a second later.

"..town of Glendale has been declared a disaster zone, and is reportedly overrun by Infected. The military has ordered rescue operations for all those still alive in the area. The government is urging all Glendale residents to hold on until help arrives. All civilians are expected to be rescued by the next two weeks. Also on Newsline 5, Infected have been sighted in London, Paris, and..."

Jack and I don't hear the rest, we just stare at each other in stunned silence. Rescue...

"You know what this means?" He asks excitedly. "We just have to wait a few more days and we'll be safe!

"Well, lets get this barricade finished than if we want to make it that long." I remind him. After a few more hours, it's done.

"Well, I hope it holds them off," Jack says. He pulls out his journal and scribbles something in it.

TIME SKIP

As the sun set over the town, I can hear the Infected approaching. I grip my G-17 tightly under the glare of the floodlights we set up.

The first Infected stumbles out of the darkness, and I have to choke back my vomit. It's the first one I've really seen up close, and it's horrifying. It's in a pair of shorts and a bloodstained T-shirt, several bloody bullet holes in it's torso, with dried blood running down it's legs and pooling in it's shoes. It opens it's mouth, and an un- godly moan escapes it's lips. I stare at it in terror, until Jack raises his pistol.

"C'mon, what are you waiting for? Kill it!" He demands. The flash and crack of gunfire snaps me out of it, and I fire several shots straight into it's heart. But it keeps coming.

"Why won't it die!" I yell. Suddenly, it collapses as one of my shots blows a hole through it's skull.

"That's it! Headshots kill them, just like in the movies!" Jack shouts out. We kill the rest with no problem. They don't even try to climb over the barricades, they just sit there punching them. Good thing they're so dumb, or we'd be dead.

**Day 32**

Well, the barricade's held for the last couple of days, though we've had some pretty close calls.

Last night Jack and I shot an Infected cop. Not sure how I feel about it, and I don't think Jack knows either. But it wasn't really a person anymore, was it? It wasn't even an animal. It was unnatural. Things like that just shouldn't exist.

On the upside, it was using a fully loaded .357 Magnum revolver. Packs a hell of a bigger punch than a G-17. Only problem is reload time. Ah well, hopefully we'll be fine.

**Day 33**

Today just isn't our lucky day. There are these fat zombies, I hate them. Way harder to kill than normal. And apparently some stupid rottweiler got infected and spread it, so now the stupid dogs are attacking us too. Damn, those things are fast.

**Day 34**

And naturally, with our luck, things only get worse. The fatties are running, and now all the zed are faster and stronger than earlier. Jack turns on the radio.

"Scientists say the Infected will die out in a matter of days, and that this disaster is nearly over..." a new anchor drones on.

"Yeah right." Jack grimaces. "If anything, they're only getting tougher." I agree.

"Also in recent events," the anchor continues, "Brookvale and Whistler's Forest are reportedly overrun, while breaches have occurred in over half of the quarantine zones in Union City. Now, it appears Beijing and Moscow have fallen, and Los Angeles followed soon after." Jack turns off the radio.

"We've only got so much daylight, we need to search for supplies."

TIME SKIP

Several hours later, Jack and I return. Jack clutches a shotgun and a sawn off, while I carry back food, ammunition jangling in my pockets.

"Well, that should help tonight," I remark. "We've got enough ammo to hold off an entire horde."

"Let's hope we don't have to," Jack replies darkly.

**Day 35**

We were huddled around the radio like usual, Jack turning the dials in search of news.

"Repent! The Judgement of Heaven is upon us, and the dead are his holy messengers! The End of Days is coming alongside the Angel of Death! Repent and join your blessed brothers in the Lord's glory!" A voice shouts out from the radio, and Jack turns it off.

"Was he telling us to... become a zombie?" I ask, appalled.

"Sounds like it, the world has definitely gone crazy. I expect we'll hear a lot more of that crap before this whole mess is over," Jack says grimly. And I can't help but to agree.

TIME SKIP

While searching, we meet a couple of guys named John and Milo. We also hit the motherlode- a UMP45, a chainsaw, a hunting rifle, and an Uzi. Some survivalist guy stockpiled a crapton of weapons, and ammo as well. Too bad he starved to death. Plenty of weapons, but not enough food, and too afraid to venture outside to find some. Our gain, I suppose.

John and Milo were trying to find shelter, and we offered them some. They were pretty glad to take us up on our offer. That's two more guns we can get firing tonight.

TIME SKIP

"Ready... aim... fire when ready!" I yell, and a salvo of bullets slams into the Infected. most of them drop right away, but a few of them continue to press forward. Jack fires off the shotgun twice, and the crack of pistol fire and uzi bursts fill the air. The zombies are still walking towards us, when I see it.

"Shit," I swore. "They've got body armour and helmets on! Shoot out the legs!" Jack sends several zombies to the ground with well placed pistol bursts, but one approaches the barricade. I grab the chainsaw and yank the cord, and am rewarded as the blade begins to spin.

I swing the chainsaw upwards, sending the decapitated head of one zed spinning through the air. Milo and John finish off the last few.

We all sit down, breathing heavily, and begin repairing the barricade.

**Day 36**

Jack tried to find news on the radio today, but there was nothing. It looks like the zombies finally got into the broadcast stations.

We're pretty worried. Supplies are low, rescue needs to arrive soon or we'll be dead for sure.

On the upside, a zombified soldier attacked us today, and he looked pretty recently turned. Maybe live soldiers are coming to help us soon. I hope.

**Day 40**

We're out of food, out of ammo, and the zombies are still coming! You'd think those AK-47 and M4A1 assault rifles we found a few days ago, plus that Barret sniper rifle would help hold them off, but nooo, they just won't die!

"Make each shot count!" Jack orders. Dozens of zombies swarm us, and a mountain of bodies surrounds the barricade. The zombies slowly claw away at the barricade, until...

They break through. I keep trying to kill them, but there's too many! Oh dear god, I don't want to die this way! I don't want...

The sound of helicopter blades cuts through the sky, and with a rattling roar, blood and guts splatter all over. The camo- painted helicopter lands, and the door gunner waves us aboard.

"Oh thank god, we're gonna be okay..." John's voice trails off in relief.

"C'mon boys, get in! There's a couple hundred of the bastards moving this way, we need to be out of here when they come!" We climb into the chopper, leaving the ruined barricade behind us.

As the helicopter flies away, I look down out over the town, and my face pales.

"My god..." Jack whispers in horror. Down below us, at least four hundred Infected are shambling to the barricade. I look away, and fall asleep.

TIME SKIP

Red lights flash in the cockpit, and I can vaguely hear somebody screaming.

"Oh god, set us down NOW! He's infected, he's infected, LAND N-" what the soldier was about to say was cut off by a terrible, gurgling, scream. Fully awake, I jerk upwards in my seat, my eyes darting wildly around. They lock onto Milo, now covered in blood, lunging for the pilot while two other soldiers try to restrain him.

Jack, John, and I back against the chopper walls, too horrified to speak. Blood splatters across the cockpit window, and suddenly we are falling.. falling..

There's nothing but falling and blood and fire and screaming and... and then there is nothing.

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**So, that's the end of The Last Stand. The next chapter will start on The Last Stand 2. Like I said, I may have tweaked the timeline a bit. They may have held out for less than twenty days, because I had to make it fit with the timeline that is on the TLS: DZ load screen.**

**Anyway, review please! I need something to keep those rogue plotbunnies on track, and reviews are the most effective. Thanks!**

**-FlamingWingsofIcarus**


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